AT&T = Rodney Dangerfield & Why They Charge So Much

AT&T is the Rodney Dangerfield of the mobile tech world. It just can’t get any respect. You may have caught MG Siegler’s restrained opinion on AT&T’s status in TechCrunch over the weekend…

AT&T Is A Big, Steaming Heap Of Failure

When AT&T announced…

AT&T to Offer New Suite of Mobile Broadband Netbooks Online and in Stores Nationwide

…Gizmodo covered the news with this poke in the ribs…

AT&T Rolls Out Barely-Subsidized Acer, Dell, Lenovo Netbooks Across the Country

Then, MacRumor’s extracted this note about AT&T’s #1 product from a Wall Street Journal article…

Apple Estimated to Account for 20% of Cellphone Industry Profit

Note that this is despite the fact that the iPhone only has 1% of worldwide phone sales. It is also more than likely AT&T Wireless’ #1 profit engine. You can imagine what would happen to that profit margin if Apple either sells the iPhone 3GS or a completely new iPhone model through, say, Verizon next year. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that AT&T’s netbook deal is not much of a deal. And, we shouldn’t be surprised if iPhone tethering is priced at a premium too (think total iPhone monthly bill going way over $100 with the tethering option). AT&T has to make as much profit as possible before another U.S. mobile phone carrier gets the iPhone too.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.